Microsoft deal is up, what now Victoria?

When the Government of Australia’s second largest state Victoria signed an $80 million, four-year contract with Microsoft in May 2002, advocates of open source software and other critics cried foul. Today that contract has just about expired, the Victorian Government has a new CIO, the NSW Government has opened its doors to Linux and the question arises as to how much longer Victoria can justify committing to long-term Microsoft lock-ins without considering alternatives.